Egg-straordinary: Light Mousse au Chocolat with Baileys Crème Caramel

Easter is just not the same without chocolate! I went to the stores today and my shopping cart has never before brimmed over with so many chocolate treats in all shapes and sizes.

Chocolate bunnies and eggs filled with nougat and marzipan, stand upright like soldiers waiting for their marching orders. As I get home they get their orders, into colorful little straw baskets filled with hay and flowers they go. I can’t wait to hide them come Easter Sunday.

We’ll be spending the day a little bit away from Weimar on Easter Sunday. As it’s Tom’s birthday I’ve arranged for us to spend a glorious day at a castle not far from here. An elegant park with impressive surroundings will be the setting for the day and somewhere there I’ll be hiding the cute little eggs and chocolate treats.

Chocolate makes me happy and fills me with pure comfort and I love making little surprises for my two men, who thankfully share my chocolate addiction. So when they come home on Saturday I will have a little surprise waiting for them. Chocolate of course!

Before I get into the dessert idea let me share the eggs Soeren and I decorated this year. We had lots of fun coloring and decorating these eggs. It’s always special when both of us get to relax and spend time with each other, we talk, giggle and basically fool around. Nice break from being a mummy!

I decided to make the mousse on the lighter side, skipping the cream entirely. Instead I use eggs, the whites to make it fluffy and airy and the yolks to give it it’s creamy texture. It’s light and featherlight. Grown-ups get a shot of some delicious Bailey’s Crème Caramel for an extra punch, while kids get a few extra chocolate grated on top.

I washed the egg shells thoroughly and used them for little containers as a cute serving idea. Use good dark chocolate for this because it’s the only kind that will satisfy you and your guests ;o). You can also use some of the delicious flavored chocolate available like Lindt’s Orange Intense or the irresistible Fleur De Sel. I’ve used both and they add an exquisite flavor to the mousse. In this case leave the shot of Bailey’s out.

Melt the chocolate over a water bath, where a metal bowl is placed over a pot of simmering water. Set aside.

In a clean mixing bowl whisk the egg whites with salt until frothy soft peaks have formed. Slowly sprinkle 40g sugar whisking the whites making sure they do not get too stiff.

Place another bowl over a water bath and using clean beaters whisk egg yolks with the remaining sugar until thick, pale and very creamy. The volume should have doubled at the end.

Gently fold in the melted chocolate, Bailey’s Crème Caramel and the cocoa powder using a spatula into the egg yolk mixture.

Finally, carefully fold in the egg whites, making sure not to deflate them and keeping it as fluffy as you can.

Pour the mousse into a metal bowl and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours. Alternatively you can divide the mousse into individual dessert glasses.

If you are planning on serving these in the egg shells, you can either fill the mousse into a piping bag or spoon into the prepared egg containers. Sprinkle with some flaked almonds.

As this is an egg-white based mousse, the egg whites need to be beaten into a froth (soft peaks). The air bubbles trapped in the froth provides the mousse with its distinctive light and airy taste. Care should be taken not to beat the egg whites to the point that they become stiff. Stiff egg whites will be difficult to mix evenly into the rest of the ingredients.

The egg whites need to be "folded" into the other ingredients rather than stirred. Stirring the mousse will burst many of the precious air bubbles, which will result in a flat mousse. The basic folding technique consists of sliding the spatula or wooden spoon along the bottom of the mixing bowl and then lifting it up the side, keeping the spoon horizontal. This motion helps to mix the ingredients without losing the air bubbles trapped in the beaten egg.

The mousse needs to be put in the fridge to cool for a minimum of 2-3 hours prior to serving. Cover the dessert glasses with wax paper or plastic wrap so that they don not absorb any aromas from other items in your refrigerator.

As this mousse contains raw egg it should be eaten the same day as it is prepared.

Verdict

I’ll be making more of this tomorrow because guess what I taste tested so much that most of it is all gone. I mean you read my last tip huh? It has to be consumed on the same day – so I have to listen to my own advice. I loved the flavor highlight the liqueur gave the mousse – the sexy caramel flavor caressed the bold aromas of chocolate to bring out a wonderful character of this mousse. It’s not dense because the egg whites make it light and delicate. A perfect Easter treat!

Wishing everyone a lovely Easter break. Hope the Easter bunny is generous to each one of you and indulge in all the sweet and savory treats. See you next week!

Amazing. I am officially amazed. You amaze me. I've thought about doing that whole washing of the egg shells thing but seriously, I'm too lazy for that stuff. The pictures are beautiful and so creative in so many different ways. You rock, but then you already knew that. xo

i love picturing you and your 2 men frolicking around gorgeous grounds of a castle, with the sun shining and smiley soeren skipping for joy when he finds his easter treats. what fun ! i love it.

and love this recipe here, and gorgeous photos and all, fabulous post, as usual !!

you know how obsessed i am with that lindt fleur de sel chocolate, and i do like bailey's too, hmmm, this one's got my name on it. and besides, a funky egg shell cutter somehow made it into my baking drawer years ago, why not use it ! ha ha ! :) love that presentation.

I love the rounded edges on your pics! Anyways, the mouse looks divine. Makes me crave a double Baileys on the rocks. I need to pick up a bottle tonight before it gets too warm to drink cordials! Cheers~

thank you so much for all your lovely comments and easter wishes. glad that many of you like the styling and the photos for this post. i had a lot of fun taking them! the recipe is an awesome one as the Bailey's really gives it a great flavor!

Oh, look at that wonderful styling!! I need to tidy out my conservatory (i.e. unpack my boxes!!) so that I can have some space to start accumulating props :) This is the way I make my chocolate mousse to - no cream, like me mom. I always add some orange zest and Cointreau - heaven!

Thank you for visiting What's For Lunch, Honey? and taking time to browse through my recipes, listen to my ramblings and enjoy my photographs. I appreciate all your comments, feedback and input. I will answer your questions to my best knowledge and respond to your comments as soon as possible.

In the meantime I hope you enjoy your stay here and that I was able to make this an experience for your senses.

Hello, I am Meeta a freelance food photographer, stylist and writer living in the cuturally rich city of Weimar, Germany with my husband and our son, where I enjoy preparing multi-cultural home cooked meals with fresh organic ingredients. What's for lunch, Honey? is my award winning food blog where I combine my love for food with my love for photography and styling...